Incorporating IT Standards into the Planning Process: A Collaborative Model Information Technology Systems Division Copyright Beverly Vagnerini and Bobby Miller, This work is the intellectual property of the authors. Permission is granted for this material to be shared for non-commercial, educational purposes, provided that this copyright statement appears on the reproduced materials and notice is given that the copying is by permission of the author. To disseminate otherwise or to republish requires written permission from the authors.

Incorporating IT Standards into the Planning Process: A Collaborative Model Information Technology Systems Division Beverly Vagnerini Director, Client Services University of North Carolina at Wilmington Bobby Miller Director, Computing Services University of North Carolina at Wilmington

Incorporating IT Standards into the Planning Process: A Collaborative Model Information Technology Systems Division Laying the Foundation for Standardization

Incorporating IT Standards into the Planning Process: A Collaborative Model Information Technology Systems Division Spring 1998, Chancellor James Leutze appointed the Chancellor's Steering Committee on Information Technologies (CSIT). The overarching charge to the CSIT was: “to unify the disparate elements of planning and operations related to utilizing the full range and power of information technologies.”  CSIT was co-chaired by Dr. Robert E. Tyndall, Vice Chancellor for Information Technology Systems and Dr. Michelle Howard-Vital, Vice Chancellor for Public Service and Extended Education.  CSIT was composed of 12 senior level members representing every Division plus 7 faculty members. Note: Dr. Tyndall was Dean of the Watson School of Education during this period.  A consulting firm was contracted to assist in the study.

Incorporating IT Standards into the Planning Process: A Collaborative Model Information Technology Systems Division From March 9 through September 10, 1998 the activities of the CSIT included:  Nine meetings of the Committee as a whole  Twenty-nine Sub-committee meetings  Sixty-seven targeted interviews throughout the campus  Eleven invited presentations to the CSIT on select topics  Twelve update sessions with the Chancellor, Provost, Vice Chancellors, Deans and others  Three surveys

Incorporating IT Standards into the Planning Process: A Collaborative Model Information Technology Systems Division The final report from the Chancellor’s Steering Committee on Information Technologies was published on October 30, 1998 with the title “Managing Necessary Change in UNCW’s Knowledge Ecology.” The report was focused around seven guiding principles each with a set of recommendations. Principle 5: Standardization “An institution should contain overall IT support costs and improve the quality of its IT support services by centrally supporting selected specific configurations of personal computer hardware and productivity software to be replaced/updated on a technological life-cycle basis.”

Incorporating IT Standards into the Planning Process: A Collaborative Model Information Technology Systems Division Closely related to standardization is the need to replace IT equipment on a life cycle basis and thus was the premise of Principle 6 of the CSIT report. Principle 6. Life-Cycle Funding: “Funding for an institution’s central IT support organization should be placed on a recurring life-cycle basis to the extent possible, and should not overly rely on one-time sources or depreciation schedules not attuned to the rapid pace of technological change. Standardization will not be possible unless investments in IT are made on a rational, life-cycle basis.”

Incorporating IT Standards into the Planning Process: A Collaborative Model Information Technology Systems Division Life Cycle Funding, coupled with baseline computer standards, has yielded significant benefits to the campus in the last three years:  Significant buying leverage.  Ease of ordering – one or two large purchase orders vs. several hundred.  Improved support efficiency and timeliness as the technician is experienced with the hardware/software and common parts are available.

Incorporating IT Standards into the Planning Process: A Collaborative Model Information Technology Systems Division Organizing Principles in support of Standardization

Incorporating IT Standards into the Planning Process: A Collaborative Model Information Technology Systems Division  The necessity for change management. These aspects of change management that require standardization are institutionalized by requiring formal processes for selecting, developing, customizing, and implementing mission-critical technology resources.  All students and employees should have convenient access to a personal computer, with a basic collection of productivity software, that is connected to the institution’s networks at any time and from almost any place they are working.  An institution should contain overall IT support costs and improve the quality of its IT support services by centrally supporting selected, specific configurations of personal computer hardware and productivity software to be replaced/updated on a technological life cycle basis.

Incorporating IT Standards into the Planning Process: A Collaborative Model Information Technology Systems Division   Funding for an institution’s central IT support should be on a recurring life-cycle basis to the extent possible and should not overly rely on one-time sources or depreciation schedules not attuned to the rapid pace of technological change.  An institution’s total IT investment should serve institutionally strategic interests while being administered with enough flexibility and participatory processes to encourage and support innovation and entrepreneurship in the departments.

Incorporating IT Standards into the Planning Process: A Collaborative Model Information Technology Systems Division Standardization Successes

Incorporating IT Standards into the Planning Process: A Collaborative Model Information Technology Systems Division  Wiring and wiring closets.  MS Office Suite including Outlook with Exchange Servers  Desktops running the Windows OS  Laptops running the Windows OS  Classroom Instructional Technologies  Handheld Devices  Wireless Ethernet  On-line Course Development